Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-08-26
TYRANNY OF FASHION.
A Sad Commentary on Our vaunted Prog
ress In Civilization.

ress In Civilization.
fhe extent to which fashion controls
the existence OF large proportion Of
the modern world is not less interest
Ing than curious Mr.. Tyler. the
learned author of primitive Culture"
has brought together mass of facts
illustrating the influence Of conyen-
ton upon the savage mind on what
passes for it. But he appears to think
that the race has outgrown such weak
ness, whereas all the evidence 10 be
had points to quite another conclusion.
AS rule, we pay little attention to
the tyranny of fashion. 1t is when it
decress the general adoption OF some
habiliment or practice which Is par
ticularly ugly or deforming or
opposed to hygienic laws that
1t becomes subject of dis
cussion. The fashions of women
change oftener than those of mon, and
are apt to be more startling. 1t can
not be said that they are much more
defiant of all the principles of art and
common sense, however. The women
may go far before they exceed in pre-
posterousness the male headgear which
is vulgarly known as the ''stove-pipe"
hat, while the masculine garb OF
festivity, called evening dress, is grace
less enough to warrant an anthropoid
ape in disowning his posterity. Yet
lovely woman, it must be admitted,
sometimes contrives to cause more
disturbance and trouble by her
changes of fashion than it is given to
the sterner sex TO do.
The present tall hats are in point,
and as tho summer styles are evident
ly intended to carry the height of these
amazing structures far beyond any
elevation yet inflicted upon an an
guished theater audience during the
winter. the prospect is any thing but
cheering Considering the natural
courtesy and self-sacrifcing tendencies
of women, the injuries this new fashion
causes them TO inflict upon their inno-
cent and helpless neighbors must be
regarded as striking proof Of the
weight of the tyranny under
which they suffer- For that
Is clearly an overmastering influence
which causes women to go contrary to
all their habits and predictions, to
make OF themselves offensive nuisances
in public places, and TO forget every
dictate Of the commonest politeness
and consideration of others. That they
should be made by fashion quite in
different to the ridiculous aspects in
which they often present themselves
while obeying its despotic behests. is
perhaps not wonderful, seeing that
they keep one another in countenance.
The profound gravity with which
women parade the most as
founding deformities. the most
abominable ugliness Of form.
color and combination, is indeed
calculated to delight the philosopher,
though it may aggrayatc and
give point to the sarcasm of the cynic.
1t is also open to question, from an
chronological and evolutionary point of
view, whether the survival in so ro-
bust and vigorous a form of those
foibles which characterized tho first
emergence of our ancestors from the
barbarous condition, does not run
counter to the Hattering selEestimate
of our progress in civilization with
which we are wont to solace ourselves.
At bottom, in fact, the difference be-
tween the dwellers ON the Hudson, the
Thames, the Seine and the Congo per-
haps remains less than we like to ad-
nit, IN Y Tribune